Die Trying by Lee Child

Ray was thinking about it. It was a reasonably slow thought process.

Its progress was visible in his body language. First the Glock came

up. Then it went back down. Shooting at the prisoner was its own

admission of failure. It was the same thing as saying: I couldn’t make

him do it, sir. Then he glanced at his hands. Glanced across at

Reacher. Glanced away. Unarmed combat was rejected. He stood there

in a fog of indecision.

“Where did you serve?” Reacher asked him.

Ray shrugged.

“Here and there,” he said.

“Like where and where?” Reacher asked.

“I was in Germany twice,” Ray said. “And I was in Desert

Storm.”

“Driver?” Reacher asked.

“Loader,” Ray answered.

Reacher nodded.

“You boys did a good job,” he said. “I was in Desert Storm. I saw

what you boys did.”

Ray nodded. He took the opening, like Reacher knew he would. If you

can’t let them beat you, you let them join you. Ray moved casually to

his left and sat down on the floor, back against the door, Clock

resting against his thigh. He nodded again.

“We whupped them,” he said.

“You sure did,” Reacher said. “You whupped them real good. So,

Germany and the desert. You liked it there?”

“Not much,” Ray said.

“You liked their systems?” Reacher asked.

“What systems?” Ray asked back.

“Their governments,” Reacher said. Their laws, their liberties, all

that stuff.”

Ray looked mystified.

“Never noticed,” he said. “Never paid any attention.”

“So how do you know they’re better than ours?” Reacher asked.

“Who says they’re better?” Ray said.

“You do,” Reacher said. “Last night you were telling me how bad it is

here in America. Got to be better everywhere else, right?”

Ray shook his head.

“I never told you that,” he said.

“So is it or isn’t it?” Reacher asked.

“I don’t know,” Ray said. “Probably. Lot of things wrong with

America.”

Reacher nodded.

“Lot of things,” he said. “I agree with you. But I’ll tell you

something. It’s better in America than everyplace else. I know

because I’ve been everyplace else. Everyplace else is worse. A lot

worse. Lot of things wrong in America, but plenty more things wrong

everyplace else. You guys should think about that.”

Ray looked across through the gloom.

“You think we’re wrong?” he asked.

Reacher nodded.

“I know you’re wrong,” he said. “For certain. All that stuff you were

telling me is bullshit. All of it. It’s not happening.”

“It is happening,” Ray said. “Beau says so.”

“Think about it, Joe,” Reacher said. “You were in the service. You

saw how it all operated. You think those guys could organize all that

stuff and keep it a secret? They ever even give you a pair of boots

the right size?”

Ray laughed.

“Not hardly,” he said.

“Right,” Reacher said. “So if they can’t organize your damn boots, how

can they organize all this other stuff Beau is talking about? What

about these transmitters hidden in all the new cars? You think Detroit

can do all that stuff? They’d be recalling them all because they

didn’t work right. You a gambling man, Joe?”

“Why?” he asked.

“What are the odds?” Reacher said. “Against they could organize a

huge massive conspiracy like that and keep it all a secret for years

and years?”

A slow smile spread across Ray’s face and Reacher saw that he was

losing. Like talking to the wall. Like teaching a chimpanzee to

read.

“But they haven’t kept it a secret,” Ray said triumphantly. “We found

out about it. I told you, Beau’s got the proof. He’s got the

documents. It’s not a secret at all. That’s why we’re here. Beau’s

right, no doubt about it. He’s a smart guy.”

Reacher closed his eyes and sighed.

“You better hope so,” he said. “He’s going to need to be.”

“He’s a smart guy,” Ray said again. “And he’s got staying power. He’s

putting us all together. There were a dozen groups up here. Their

leaders quit and left. All their people came and joined Beau because

they trust him. He’s a smart guy, Reacher, and he’s our only hope

left. You won’t change anybody’s mind about him. You can forget about